Electric switch



July 16, 1935. l l A. c. GAYNOR '2,008,068

ELEQTBIC SWITCH Original Filed May l5, 1930 3 'Sheets-Sheet l pag.1

July 16, 1935. A. c. GAYNOR 2,008,068

ELECTRIC SWITCH Original Filed May 15, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.'

' Arlhu' y 2",

BY c@ A RNEY July 16, 1.935. A* A, C, GAYNOR i 2,008,068

ELECTRIC SWITCH original Filed May 15, 195o :5 sheets-sheet 5 IN V EN TOR:

I ToRNEY Y ,5 'And a further feature is theprovision of in anoutlet box-in the usual manner.

'Patented vJuly 1e, 1935 2,008,068

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SWITCH Arthur C; Gaynor, Stratford, Conn., assignor to as & Seymour, Inc., a corporation of New Application May 15, 1930, Serial No. 452,545 Renewed January 27, 1934 13 Claims. (Cl. 20o-168) This invention relates to electric switches, and on the .iaWS f the Contact members and 0n the more particularly, to improvements relating to casing and cap for preventing appreciable lateral the Contact members there0fmovement of the jaws in their operative positions.

In my Patent No. 1,739,835, granted December Other features and advantages will hereinafter 17, 1929, I have disclosed an arrangement whereappeal'. 5

by the contact members are not structurally at-` In iShe accompanying drawings which illustrate taohed to the base but are'oonned in operative one form of the invention, that at present position by being interposed between the base and preferreda. covering member of insulation. The advan- Figure 1 iS a Dian View 0f the Switch with the tages and savings of this structure have been re- Cover 01' Cal) removed. 10 tained in accordance with this invention and yet Fig 2 iS a longitudinal Sectional View taken on vsubstantial improvements have been made. the line 2-2 Figi- AOne of the salient features of this invention is FS- 3 is a' transverse Sectional View taken on the provision of Contact members which are interthe line 3 3 Fig- 2- l5 changeable without the use of tools after a cover Fig- 4 1S a- Pieh VieW of a comer of the base 15 or cap is removed from the base of the switch, Showing the non-circular Soekeii 101' remollabiy thereby permitting the base, cap and Switch receiving the non-circular plug of the contact mechanism to be standard, i. e. the same, for a membeii whole series of switches for performing different Fig 5 iS a longitudinal Section taken through switching work, while only the contact members the SWiich 0h the iihe 5-5 F182 1. 20 are special or unique to the different types of Fig- 6 iS a DelSDeciiVe View of ai pair of coriswitches in the series. This is of great advantage necied Contact members made in accordance with in the manufacture of switches, for it permits this ihVehtioh. mass production of the standard parts at reduced Fig- 7 iS Schematic View Showing the arrangecost per unit, and to the user by permitting the ment of the contact members when the switch is 25 conversion of a switch from one type to another converted i90 9@ two Pole three-Way Switchmerely by substituting different contact members Fig- 8 iS 8' Schematic View Showing the Switch for those previously used in the switch. For inarranged to control two separate circuits, one stance, it enables the conversion of the -switch circuit being closed while the other circuit is from any other one of the following types to a opened- 30 single pole switch, a single pole heavy duty switch, Fig- 9 iS a Similar View Showing the Switch ara single pole two-way switch, a two pole switch, ranged fol' two-Pole operationa two pole two circuit switch, or a two pole three- Fig- 10 iS 9 Similar View Showing the Switch a1'- way switch, merely by removing the contact memranged for Single-Dole iight-duty USe.

'J5 bers and substituting others therefor. Fig. 11 is a. similar view showing the Switch ar- 35 Another feature of this invention is the proranged for Single-Pole heavy-duty use. vision of the contact members in united pairs tied Fig. 12 iS a Similarview Showing the switch artogether by insulation or current-conducting ranged to connect one polie of a circuit to two strips (according to whether current is not or is Separate circuits alternately 40l intended to ow between the contact members) Fig- 13 iS 8- PelSDeciiVe View of the united con- 40 and adapted to be inserted in and removed from tacimcmbcrS IlSed on the left and right hand the base as a unit at one end of the switch,thereby ends of Fig. 8 and the right hand end of Fig. 12. facilitating the manufacture assembly and con- FigS. 14, 15, 16 and 1'7 are Perspective VieWS of verting of the switch by avoiding the separate. the various contact plates employed to make the handling of each contact member. contact members used in the switches schemat- 45 Afurther feature is the provision of a nonically indicated in Figs. 8 to 12. circular plug on each connected pair of contact As shown in the accompanying drawings, the members, preferably one for each contact mempresentinvention is embodied inV a wall or outlet ber, adapted-to removably t a companion socket box supported switch and comprises a base I0 in the base to ysupport the contactsagainst subandra cap or cover Il provided with aligned holes 50 stantial turning movements when mounted therethrough whichV screws l2 extend, upwardly and in, the noncircular 'plugs preferably beingtapped are threaded into nuts at the outsideof the cap, to-hold abinding'screwforsecuring awire to the or, asshown, into a threaded holein a bridgepiece I3l by means offwhich the switch may be contact member..`

...Instead of the switch mechanism being located almost entirely in the cavity in the base, as in my Patent No. 1,739,835, it is located in matched cavities provided in both the cap lli and the base llt, as in my copending applications Serial No. 276,- B86, led May 1i, 1928; Serial No. 298,218, led August 8, 1928; and Serial No. 399,978, led

@ctober 3, 1928, in which the features of novelty not claimed herein are adequately disclosed and claimed.

The switch mechanism proper comprises a polyhedral frame l5 removably supported in cavities in the base and cap and held in operative position against shifting movements by pillars l5 formed on the base and downwardly extending lugs l@ on the cap forming continuations of the pillars l5. Supported in the frame on a suitable asile is a handle ll connected to a switch actuator EB which engages an operating spring i9. The lower end of the spring is supported in a crank 2l) having shaft portions 2l projecting through openings in the frame ld and resting on bearings 22 on the frame. The extensions of the shaft portions 2l of the crank at each side thereof are made noncircular and support switch blades 23 and 23 which may be alike.

As disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 298,218, filed August 8, 1928, either or both of these switch blades 23-23' may be insulated from the crank by an insulating block 24 which slidably ts the crank shaft extensions and permits the blade to have free lateral and floating movement thereon and also permits the blade to loe slid on and oi the shaft without the use of tools when the cap Il and the frame i4 have been removed from the base, thereby permitting a switch blade to be removed from or applied to the crank at either side, as desired.

The arrangement is such that whenv the handle,|1 is operated, the spring i9 is compressed and carried beyond the point of oscillation of the crank. When this is done, the spring expands and causes the crank 20 with the switch blades 23--23 carried thereby to rapidlyA oscillate with a snap action from one position of rest to another, the crank fulcruming on the bearings 22.

The switch blades 23--23' operate in chambers 25 at each side of the switch mechanism'. Each chamber is formed by one side wall 26 of the base l0 and cap I l and by the adjacent pillars I5 on the base and lugs I6 on the cap. The Walls of each l chamber 25 are relatively close together to restrict as much as possible the space in which the circuit is made and broken, so that the movement of the switch blades will fan out any arc which may tend to form in breaking a circuit. This is done for the further reason that the switch blades may be restricted in their lateral movements by these walls, this operation being facilitated by providing flares 21 on the ends of the switch blades.

The switch blades have, as stated, two positions of rest, and in either position the ends of the blades may or may not be engaged with' cooperating contacts, according to the manner in which the switch is to be used. In the form of switch illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the contacts are so arranged that in one position of rest one circuit is closed while the other is open, and. in the other position of rest the first-mentioned circuit is open while the other is closed.

Accordingly, at one side of the switch, there is a. contact A arranged near the bottom of the base and opposite it there is a contact B arranged near the top of the cap, while at the other side o! the switch and adjacent the lower contact A aooaoee is an upper contact marked B and opposite it is a lower contact marked A (see the schematic illustration, lig. 8). Hence, when the switch blade is in the position shown in Fig. 2, the switch blade 23 is disengaged from the contacts A and 5B, thereby opening the circuit through wires 28 and 29 (Fig. 8), while the switch blade 23 engages its contacts B and A. and closes the circuit including the wires 39 and Sil. When the handle is operated, the switch blades are moved approximately 45 to cause the blade 23 to close the circuit between the contacts A and B while the blade 23 opens the circuit between the contacts B and A.

As stated above, the contacts, according to the present invention, are not xedly secured to the base or cap but are removably mounted on the base and are held in operative position by the cap for purposes hereinafter more fully described. To accomplish this, the lower'contacts A-A, which it will be understood are alike, each has a flat surface 32 resting on the door 33 of the switch blade chambers 25, and a vertical arm 34 and a horizontal portion 35, While the upper contacts B-B each has a lug 36 resting on the inside surface 31 of the cap and a downwardly extending arm 38 terminating in a horizontal portion 3.9.

The arms are so arranged when mounted in the switch that the horizontal portions 35 and 39 lie in substantially the same horizontal plane and substantially in the plane or" the line of division between the cap H and the base Ill. The horizontal portions extend outwardly beyond the casing as illustrated in Fig. 2, and their ends may preferably, but not essentially, lie in depressions 49 in the portions or ears 4| of the base which extend beyond the cap Il. Thus, when the cap il is secured to the base by the screws l2, the lower edge of the cap will engage the horizontal portions 35 and 39 (or means carried thereby as will appear below) to prevent the contacts from moving bodily in a vertical plane, the lower edge of the cap engaging each contact member at the horizontal portion between the portion located in the recess 40 and the vertical portions 34 or 38, holding the contacts down`on the base or up against the surface. 31 of the cap as the casemay be.

Each contact member is preferably held against movement in a horizontal plane by a noncircular plug 42 connected to the horizontal portions 35 and 39 thereof and each plug is adapted to removably fit a noncircular cavity 43 in the ear 4I extending-down vfrom the depression or recess 40. This plug 42 is provided with a screw-threaded aperture for the reception of a binding screw 44 below the head of which switch may be secured. v

The contacts are further prevented from shifting out of proper normal position by pairs of lugs 45 on the floor 33 and lug 46 on the roof 31 of the cap, the lugs 45-46 of each pair being so spaced that the bottom edges 32 of the contacts A--A' and the lugs 36 of the contacts B--B- -the Wire of the circuit to be controlled by the and positively holds the switch blade engaging arate and independent of each other.

portions in their proper positions to be engaged by the floating switch blades, besides permit the contact members to be removable from the base and cap without the use of tools.

The contacts A-A or B-B may be, as illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15, each structurally sep- But, t facilitate the operation of interchanglng the contacts to make a switch of any particular type or convert a switch from one type to another, it is preferable that the contacts at, each end of the switch be secured together in pairs and this structure is illustrated in Figs.- 1, 2, and 6.

In the case of the switch illustrated in Figs. l, 2 and 8, where it is desired to separately control two circuits, the pairs of contacts A-B' and B-A' at each end of the switch are each connected by tie plates 48 of insulating material, see Fig. 13. Each tie plate 48 has a concave edge 49 to pass inside of the adjacent screw I2 and on its opposite edge it has a surface 50 adapted to engage one face of an abutment 5| between the pillars il and, in addition, notches 52 into which the upwardly extending arms 38 of the contacts B-B may extend.

In the case of the connected pair of contact members A-B' shown in Fig. 6, which,y is utilized in the form of switch diametrically indicated in Fig. 12, and in any case where the contact at one end of the switch is intended to be electrically connected to the contact at the other end'of the switch, as in the case of the contacts C-B' and D-A respectively,v in the form of switch shown in Fig. 1l, ametallic tie plate 53 is employed instead of the insulating tie plate 48, so that current will ow from the contact B' to contact A, (Figs. 6 and 12), or from the contact B' to the contact C, (Fig. il) through the metallic tie plate 53, or from the contact A to the contact D, (Fig. 11)

For uniformity of structure and to insure a complete interchangeability, even those contacts which are used alone at one end of the switch, as, for instance, the contacts A' and B shown in Fig. l0, these contacts are provided with a dummy plate 54 as indicated in Fig. 10. These plates may or may not be of insulating material, as desired.

In making the paired contact members, the plates 4t, b3 and b4 may be secured to the noncircular plug or plugs 42 in any suitable way. llt is preferable, however, that, as shown in Fig. 2, the ends of the plates which are to be fastened to the blocks d2, be provided with apertures through which a tubular portion oi the plug extends so that the plates and the horizontal portions and t@ oi the contacts may be superposed and be iastened together by peening or spinning over a flange at the upper end of the block t2.

When it is desired to have both an upper and a lower contact at each corner of the switch, the practice diagr atically illlustrated in'Fig. 'l' may be followed. in this case, a contact C may be superposed with a. contact A at one corner of the switch while contacts B' and D' may be superposed at the adjacent corner at the same end of the switch. Then, if the switch is to be a double pole three-way switch, contact members E and F may be mounted at the other corners. of the switch, the contact member E having an upper contact B at one side and a lower contact A' at the other side connected by a bus bar 55 and a contact F having an upper contact C at one side and a lower contact D at the other side connected by a bus bar 5t.

nach of these pairs oi contact members are completely interchangeable with any other pair,

and hence with the contact arrangement of the present invention, a switch may be converted from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or any other, to a single-pole light-duty switch (Fig. a singlepole heavy-duty switch (Fig. 11); a single-pole two-way switch (Fig. 12) a two-pole switch (Fig. 9); a two-pole two-circuit switch (Fig. 8); or a two-pole three-way switch (Fig. 7), merely by removing the contact members and substituting the proper contact members for the kind of switch desired.

This is extremely important from a manufacturing viewpoint, for it permits bases, caps and switch mechanism of all of the different types of switches to be identical and requires only the special manufacture or assembly of the different kinds of contact members for the different purposes. Even this latter is facilitated by the present invention, for, with the exception of the contacts E and F in the form shown in Fig. rl, all of the other arrangements may be made with merely four different kinds of contacts, i. e. contacts A for the lower rear left and lower iront right positions, contacts B for the upper rear right and upper front left, contacts C for the upper rear left and upper front right, and contacts D for the lower rear right and lower front left, all as viewed in Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive.

Variations and modications may be made within the scope of this invention ,and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters-Patent, is:-

1. A snap switch comprising a base of insulation including terminal seats and sockets at corengaged and disengaged by said blade, said contact members each having a terminal portion extending to the exterior of the cap enclosed portion of the switch at the line of division between the cap and the'base and provided with an attached plug removably tting in one of said sockets and threaded longitudinally to receive a binding screw, the exposed part of each terminal portion resting in one of said seats and being supported by said base, said contact members being held in the base solely by the cap.

2. A snap switch comprising a casing having a base and a cap; switch mechanism interposed between and enclosed by the base and cap and including a, switch blade; and contact members adapted to be engaged and disengaged by the switch blade, said contact members each having a terminal portion extending to the exterior of the switch. at the line of division between the cap and the base and lying in a recess in the base, said terminal portion of the contact member having a noncircuiar plug fitting a noncircular socket in the base outside of the area thereoi covered by the cap. I

3.1i snap switch comprising an insulating body; switch mechanism including a switch blade mounted in said body for oscillation; a contact member adapted torbe engaged and disengaged by the switch blade, said contact member having a terminal portion and a switch-blade engaging portion substantially spaced therefrom; and means on the insulating ,body engaging the switch-blade engaging portions of the contact members adjacent the point oi contact thereon by the blade to positively hold said portions against lateral movement relative to the body.

d. A snap switch comprising an insulating body; switch mechanism including a switch blade mounted -in said body for oscillation; a contact member adapted to be `engaged and disengaged by the switch blade, said contact member having a terminal portion and a switch-blade engaging portion substantially spaced therefrom; and lugs on the insulating body engaging the switch-blade engaging portion of the 'contact member adjacent the point of contact thereon by the blade to positively hold said portion against lateral movement relative to the body.

5. d snap switch comprising an insulating body; switch mechanism including a switch blade mounted for oscillation in a narrow chamber in said body; a contact member adapted to be engaged and disengaged by the switch blade, said Contact member having arterminal portion and also having a switch-blade engaging portion substantially spaced from the terminal portion and located in said narrow chamber; and means on the insulating body in said narrow chamber engaging the switch-blade engaging portion. of the Contact member adjacent the point or" contact thereon to positively hold said portion against lateral movement relative to the body.

6. A snap switch comprising an insulating body; switch mechanism including a switch blade mounted for oscillation in said body; a Contact member removably mounted in a socket on the body and comprising a switch-blade engaging portion; and means on the insulating body engaging the switch-blade engaging portion of the contact member adjacent the point of contact thereon to positively hold said portion against lateral movement relative to the body.

7. A snap switch comprising an insulating body; switch mechanism mounted on said body,

,said switch mechanism including a switch blade mounted for oscillation and for iloating movement; a contact member adapted to be engaged and disengaged by the s'witch blade and including a. rigid switch-blade engaging portion; and means on the insulating body engaging the switch-blade engaging portion of the contact member adjacent the point of contact therewith to positively hold said portion against iatera1 movement relative to the body for engagement by the floating switch blade.

8. A snap switch comprising an insulating two part body; switch mechanism mounted on said body, said switch mechanism including a switch blade mounted for oscillation and for heating movement; a contact member loosely mounted on one of the body parts and comprising a switchblade engaging portion; and. means on the insulating body engaging the switch-blade engaging portion of the contact member to hold said portion against lateral movement relative to the body for engagement by the iloating switch blade.

9. A snap switch comprising an insulating body; switch mechanism including a switch blade accende mounted for oscillation in a narrow chamber in said body, said switch mechanism including a switch blade mounted for oscillation and for floating movement; a contact member adapted to relative to the body for engagement by the iioating switch blade.

lo. A snap switch comprising an insulating two part body; switch mechanism including a switch blade mounted for oscillation in a narrow chamber in said body, said switch mechanism including a switch blade mounted for oscillation and for floating movement; a contact member loosely mounted on one of the body parts adapt-ed to be engaged and disengaged by the switch blade, said contact member having a switch-blade engaging portion located in said narrow chamber; and means on the insulating body in said narrow chamber engaging the switch-blade engaging portion of the contact member to hold said portion against lateral movement relative to the body for engagement by the floating switch blade. il. A snap switch comprising a base; a cap for the base; switch mechanism interposed between and enclosed by the cap and the base and including an oscillating switch blade; contact members loosely mounted on the base having switchblade engaging portions, some of which are located in the cap and some of which are located in the base; and means on the cap and means on the base for engaging the switch-blade engaging portion of the respective Contact members to hold said portion against lateral movement relative to the body.

12. A switch having a base and a cap, the base having a plurality of means adapted to removably hold in operative position thereon a plurality of contact members for removal and replacement without the use of tools, and the cap having means to lock the contact members on the base against removal when the cap is secured to the base and the contact members having wire clamping terminal portions lying outside said cap.

13. A snap switch having an insulating body and a cover; a plurality of sockets in the body; contact units, each including a terminal post having a section thereof removably tting into one of said sockets and having a portion thereof exposed outside of the body and cover for the' 

